assalamulaikum i want to know that,"Is watching TV a sin?", i know that watching movies and listening to music is a sin but what about watching just a drama serial thrice a week.

POISON IN A BOX%0D%0A%0D%0A"If we truly thought that T.V. had no impact on anyone, would we be spending%0D%0Abillions of dollars on television advertising ? If commercials have an%0D%0Aeffect, wouldn't other messages?"%0D%0A%0D%0AThe above is the statement of a child and family professor, Dr. Greer Fox%0D%0A(Quoted from the Tennesse Alumunus, Spring 1994). To most people, this%0D%0Astatement will not convey anything new to them. It will merely reaffirm what%0D%0Athey always believed - that T.V. has an impact on the viewer. However, what%0D%0Aalmost everybody fails to realise is the extent to which the T.V. penetrates%0D%0Ainto the minds of the viewers, especially children.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt was this very level of impact that prompted the writing of this article.%0D%0AThe mind-boggling extent to which T.V. influences the mind can be clearly%0D%0Aappreciated by the innocent reply of a five year old child to a question put%0D%0Aby his teacher. This incident sends shivers down the spine and leaves the%0D%0Amind numb with shock. For a mu'min, it will pull away the ground from under%0D%0Ahis feet and leave him speechlesswhen we consider the frightening%0D%0Aimplications of such an incident. This incident is reported by the teacher%0D%0Aherself . She writes: " I asked one of the boys in my class: " Who is the%0D%0Amost powerful, Allah or the Power Rangers ? " Without batting an eye, he%0D%0Aexclaimed with childish certainty : " The Power Rangers!" When I told him%0D%0Athat Allah was the Most Powerful and that the Power Rangers were weak in%0D%0Asight of Muslims, the boy was greatly dissapointed. I was graetly disturbed%0D%0Aby the depths of regard that these pupils have for T.V. stars."%0D%0A%0D%0ALet us read the above several times. Yes, thi IS the extent that T.V. erodes%0D%0Athe mind, especially the impressionable minds of little children No, this is%0D%0ANOT an isolated incident. Rather it is a rude reflection of what perceptions%0D%0Ahave build up in the minds of other children who are equally exposed to the%0D%0Aimaan-killing poisons of the T.V. Some children verbally express these%0D%0Aperceptions. Others may not speak them, but they act them out in various%0D%0Aways much later in their lives. Nor should it be felt that this devastting%0D%0Aeffect of television is restricted to little chidren. Teenagers and adults%0D%0Aare all seriously affected in a most subtle manner by this medium.%0D%0A%0D%0AHaving touched on this topic, let us delve a little deeper into analysing%0D%0Athe various poisons that are contained in this box. The information%0D%0Acontained here consist of the findings of American researchers after years%0D%0Aof work. Hence this is the case of hearing the facts " from the horse's%0D%0Amouth."%0D%0A%0D%0APROBLEMS%0D%0AAmong the numerous problems that have afflicted our society, perhaps the%0D%0Amost worrying and frightening are the problems that have afflicted the%0D%0Ayouth. The problems of the youth are more alarming since these very youths%0D%0Awill be the parents and leaders of tomorrow. The rate of juvenile crime,%0D%0Adrug abuse, teenage pregnancies, etc need no elaboration. However, most%0D%0Apeople blankly refus to accept that the television has played a major role%0D%0Ain creating this chaos. But here we have it, from those very those very%0D%0Apeople who have lit the fire which has now become a raging inferno. The%0D%0APresident of the Academy of Television , Arts and Sciences, Richard H.%0D%0AFrank, admits: " Just as television was once an ENABLER of some of the%0D%0Anation's drug problem, I believe to some extent it may today be an ENABLER%0D%0Aof some of the problems of the youth." Often parents come crying, wanting to%0D%0Aknow: " But why does my child behave like this?" Perhaps they have received%0D%0Athe answer.%0D%0A%0D%0ATIME%0D%0AWhen one considers the average time that a child spends in front of the box,%0D%0Ait is not difficult to understand how the T.V. can be an enabler of some of%0D%0Athe problems facing society. According to Baehr, the ex-director of the%0D%0ATelevision Centre at City University of New york, the average child watches%0D%0A15 000 (fifteen thousand) to 40 000 hours of television by the time he's 17.%0D%0AHe goes to school for about 11 000 and spends about 2000 hours with his%0D%0Aparents. (Hollywood Reporter, March 4-6, 1994). Can we imagine what rot%0D%0Asettles into the mind of that child after so many ours in front of the box?%0D%0AIf we cannot, then let us read the incident of the five year old child%0D%0Aagain!%0D%0A%0D%0A" Baby sitter"%0D%0A%0D%0AOften the best thing that parents can find to keep their children occupied%0D%0Ais the television. In fact, some parents will be heard justifying this with%0D%0Athe words: " At least it keeps them off the street." However, the television%0D%0Ais no less dangerous than being on the streets. Rather, it much more%0D%0Adangerous. Dr. Greer Fox says that when children are at home watching%0D%0Atelevision, parents feel they are protected from the dangers of the outside%0D%0Aworld.. This is so because those dangers are " more apparent than the subtle%0D%0Amessages that kids receive on television." But it is the " subtle messages"%0D%0Awherein the greatest danger lies for a mu'min. They attack the Imaan%0D%0Adirectly.%0D%0A%0D%0A"Educational"%0D%0A%0D%0AIn all this time spent in front of the box, what exactly does this "%0D%0Aeducational tool" ( as many like to call it) teach your child ? According to%0D%0Athe same Baehr, the " educational theories" of television called for a three%0D%0Astep process. (1) Modelling behaviour. (2) Repeating that behaviour.%0D%0A(3) Re-inforcing that behaviour. He then concludes by saying: " That is%0D%0Aexactly what television is doing. It models cruelty and violence, and it%0D%0Arepeats that behaviour. By the time he is 17, the average child sees 200 000%0D%0Ato 400 000 sex acts on T.V., 100 000 TO 200 000 acts of violence and 17 000%0D%0Ato 33 000 murders." ( The figures are not a misprint).%0D%0A%0D%0AIn the light of the above, is it any surprise that a survey conducted by a%0D%0AU.S. group, Children now, found that " sex on T.V. encourages kids to have%0D%0Asex before they are ready, and that some shows ENCOURAGE kids to disrespect%0D%0Atheir parents. Also, some shows send the message that " being bad is cool."%0D%0AIn another survey conducted by the same group, 750 youth between the ages of%0D%0A10 to 16 were interviewed. 62% said that sex on T.V. influenced their peers%0D%0Ato have sexual relations when they were too young.%0D%0A%0D%0AHEART ATTACK%0D%0A%0D%0ATelevision has not even spared the health of it's ardent viewers. The%0D%0Aharmful effect on the eyes is well known. According to the research of%0D%0AAmerican psychologist Herbert Krugman, " watching T.V. scrambles your%0D%0Abrains" ( Natal Mercury 29-7-86). A pennsylvania State University%0D%0Aresearcher, Dr. Paul Kettl has found a "dramatically high connections%0D%0Abetween the rise of T.V. and a rise in depression..." He found that as the%0D%0Apresence of television grew, so did depresssion (Daily News). Now new%0D%0Aresearch has found that watching T.V. can bring about and also aggravate%0D%0Aheart problems. The study found that " violent scenes raise blood pressure%0D%0Aand increase the level of stress hormones in the body. High blood pressure%0D%0Ataxes the heart muscles and stress hormones suppress the immune system." The%0D%0Aresearchers monitored 18 men and 22 women. After the subjects had watched%0D%0Asome violent scenes from a T.V. program, their urine levels of the three%0D%0Astress hormones - adrenaline , noradrenaline and cortisol - were measured.%0D%0AThe researchers found that "women had higher levels of cortisol, the most%0D%0Adamaging of the three stress hormones. Cortisol suppresses the immune system%0D%0Aand prolongs the effect of the other two stress hormones."%0D%0A%0D%0ASOLUTION%0D%0A%0D%0AThere are many facts and statistics of this nature in the documented reports%0D%0Aof Western researchers. In the interests of brevity, they have been left%0D%0Aout. Nevertheless, by now any sincere reader would be asking the crucial%0D%0Aquestion: " What is the solution?" The solution can be summed up in four%0D%0Awords: " FIRST ATTACK. THEN DEFEND." It may sound like very strong words,%0D%0Abut let us consider the situation realistically. If an intruder has come%0D%0Ainto your home, grab hold of your child, and is about to strangle him, what%0D%0Awould you do first? Will you first run to the phone and call the builder to%0D%0Ainstall strong security gate? Or will you simply grab the whatever available%0D%0Aand attack the intruder in order to save your child?%0D%0AThe intruder we have here is one...%0D%0A- That teaches your child that the Power Rangers is (Allah Ta'aala%0D%0Aforbid) the most powerful!%0D%0A- It teaches your child to disrespect you, and in the words of the%0D%0Aresearchers, " to be disruptive and destructive."%0D%0A- It shows your child 200 000 sex acts by age 17 and teaches him%2Fher to%0D%0Aengage in pre-marital sexual activity.%0D%0A- It exposes your children to 100 000 acts of violence and 17000 murders by%0D%0Athat age.%0D%0A- It "scrambles the brains" and causes depression.%0D%0A- It adversely affects your health and that of your family.%0D%0AThis intruder is whacking away at the body and soul of your entire family.%0D%0AWhat will you do first? Phone your doctor for an appointment? Call your%0D%0Aloca; Imaam to speak to your child about respect for parents? FIRST%0D%0ACOURAGEOUSLY AND BRAVELY GET RID OF THE INTRUDER. The precedent of this has%0D%0Aalready been set. According to a Daily News report, " dozens or possibly%0D%0Aeven hundreds of television sets have flown out of Bombay's tower blocks."%0D%0AThe "tele-bashers who are the followers of a local Muslim preacher" are "%0D%0Aheaving their sets out of the window, hacking them to splinters of glass and%0D%0Aplastic, burning or simply selling them." According to one "tele-basher,"%0D%0AAbida Begum, the reason for this was: "our children were being corrupted."%0D%0AIt is thus time that we follow this noble example.%0D%0A%0D%0ATHEN DEFEND. Now by all means install the security gate and the alarm%0D%0Asystem. The defence system in this case is the following:%0D%0A1. INTRODUCE DAILY TA'LEEM (LEARNING AND TEACHING DEEN) IN THE HOME. To%0D%0Alearn one chapter of the knowledge of Deen is more rewarding than 1000%0D%0Arakaats of nafil salaah. The angels surround the gatherings of Ilm.%0D%0AAccording to the Hadith, the one who treads the path of seeking the%0D%0Aknowledge of Deen, Allah Ta'aala aese the road to jannah for him. Read the%0D%0Avirtues of the various deeds to your family. This will create the urge to%0D%0Apractice upon those deeds. With ta'leem, the darkness of ignorance will be%0D%0Adispelled. Contact your local Aalim for further guidance in this regard.%0D%0A2. ENGAGE DAILY IN THE RECITATION OF THE QUR'AN.%0D%0AUpon the recitation of each LETTER, one is blessed with ten rewards.%0D%0ARecitation of the Qur'an creates nur (spiritually illuminates) the heart.%0D%0AThe evil jinns and shaitaans flee from a home where the Qur'an is recited%0D%0Aregularly. The home wherein the Qur'an is recited shines unto the%0D%0Ainhabitants of the earth (At-Targheeb). Regularly read an authentic Tafseer%0D%0Aof the Qur'an (such as Tafseer-e-Usmani) and learn what the Qur'an says to%0D%0Ayou.%0D%0A3. ENGAGE DAILY IN THE ZIKR (REMEMBRANCE) OF ALLAH TA'AALA%0D%0AAllah Ta'aala says: " Behold, with the remembrance of Allah do the hearts%0D%0Aget peace." ( Al-Ra'd:24)%0D%0AIn another aayah Alla Ta'aala says: " Remember Me and I will remember you"%0D%0A(Baqarah). Zikr will grant one solace and peace. It will connect one to%0D%0AAllah Ta'aala. It will cleanse the heart of spiritual illnesses. Recite%0D%0Adurood upon Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) daily in abundance.%0D%0AAccording to the Hadith, when durud is recited, an angel conveys it to%0D%0ARasulullah(Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) together with mentioning the name of%0D%0Athe one who recited it as well as the name of his or her father." (Virtues%0D%0Aof Durood). By reciting durood excessively, our names will be mentioned%0D%0Arepeatedly to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) when the angels%0D%0Aconvey each durood to him. What an honour this is!%0D%0A4. JOIN THE COMPANY OF THE PIOUS AND SPEND YOUR TIME IN THE ACTIVITIES OF%0D%0ADEEN.%0D%0ALike evil company will make one evil, pious company will likewise make one%0D%0Apious. Engage in th e effort of rectifying oneself and encourage others at%0D%0Athe same time . By making an effort for Deen, Deen will become valuable to%0D%0Aus.%0D%0A%0D%0AThese aspects will make life itself more meaningful. It will also enable one%0D%0Ato attain the everlasting bounties of Jannah. May Allah Ta'aala grant us the%0D%0Aability to throw out the intruder and adopt the solution. Aameen.%0D%0A%0D%0AAl-Haadi Vol. 3 Issue 3%0D%0A